The annual Buddha Jayanti festival was celebrated on 23rd May, 2005, at the Necklace Road, Hyderabad. 33 monks from different parts of the World visited the State on this special occasion. The monks offered prayers and lit lamps at the Buddha Statue that stands on the ‘Rock of Gibraltar’, in the middle of Hussain Sagar lake. here were various cultural programmes organised in the State.

For the first time in the State, a special procession was taken out by the government carrying the ancient relics of Buddha from State Archeological Museum to People's plaza at Necklace Road.